The National Finals Rodeo will "remain in Las Vegas through 2024 after Las Vegas Events and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association reached agreement on a new 10-year contract Friday," according to Howard Stutz of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The agreement "ends a flirtation by the PRCA, the sanctioning body that oversees the NFR, with Orlando, Fla., and Dallas." Both cities had been "looking to grab the 10-day event" away from Las Vegas, "where it has been for 29 years." Losing the rodeo "would have been a major blow to Las Vegas." Osceola County (Fla.) Commission Chair Fred Hawkins said, "In a way, we're not too surprised. We knew the PRCA was going to continue to work with Las Vegas, and we knew there was a long relationship there." Stutz noted Las Vegas Events under the new deal will guarantee $16.5M annually "in purse and sponsorship for the NFR." The "offers from Osceola County and Dallas" included a $6.2M purse for the NFR cowboys. Additional elements of the new agreement "include a seasonlong sponsorship program with the PRCA, presenting sponsorships of the National Circuit Finals Rodeo and 12 Circuit Final Rodeos" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/25). In Las Vegas, Ron Kantowski noted the NFR is worth $87.9M in "nongaming revenue for Las Vegas, and Las Vegas simply was not going to let that kind of money leave town" (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 1/25). In Orlando, Susan Jacobson noted NFR officials "rejected" a $16M offer from Osceola County (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/25).
